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NEEDHAM MARKET 10 IPSWICH WANDERERS 9
(after extra time and penalties)
RIDGEONS LEAGUE CUP PRELIMINARY ROUND
TUESDAY 27TH SEPTEMBER 2005
‘Keeper Jamie Stannard returned after miising one game through illness but Mark Goldfinch and Ricky Martin were unavailable and Alan Mills and Matthew Cunningham were still suspended. Lee Smith swopped sides to fill the vacant left back position and Dean Tournay-Godfrey was on the bench.
It was a very competitive start to the game with Needham having the best of the possession in the early stages. A vociferous appeal for a penalty was turned down as a fierce shot through a crowded penalty area came off Chris Tracey. Munson, in the Needham goal, had to be alert on 13 mins to a deft flick from Jamie Baker who was on the end of a deep pass from Chris Tracey. On 19 mins Marc Lowe sent over a cross from the far right corner and it was met by the head of Keith Hetherington at the near post and Munson did well to claw it out from going in at the top corner. This started a series of 4 corners, taken by Jamie Baker, and all put right under the crossbar which the Needham defence had trouble in clearing. Wanderers were now having the better of the possession, especially down the left with Lee Smith and Jamie Baker.
On 23 mins, the ball was passed back and forth just inside the Wanderers half and it eventually found its way to Clements on the edge of the ‘D’ from where he put a rasping shot precisely into the top corner out of reach of the despairing dive of Jamie Stannard. From the restart, Jorrell Hurd picked up the ball, ran 15 yds and brought a fine save from Munson with his powerful shot. He scored on 32 mins when he picked up Terry Layton’s throw, took 2 paces and fired a shot into the far corner from all of 20yards. Keith Hetherington’s flick onto Rene Swann almost resulted in a goal on 37 mins but Mann did just enough to spoil the shot. The last 5 minutes of the half was, literally, end to end football with one heart-stopping moment when Jamie Stannard came for an innocuous cross and slipped to his knees. He still had enough height to pluck the ball from the air and clear the danger.
Needham Market 1 Ipswich Wanderers 1 (half time)
Wanderers were on the attack right from the whistle, with Rene Swann prominent. He won a corner after 3 mins of the half and Jorrell Hurd’s kick was met powerfully by the head of Chris Tracey in the 6yd box to give Wanderers the lead. Needham were level less than 10 mins later when Head dived at the near post for Brothers’ corner and squeezed the ball inside the near post. The bar save Needham twice on 62 mins; first Munson tipped Swann’s header onto the bar and Jamie Baker blasted the rebound off it. It was very frantic stuff and a controversial penalty decision on 75 mins was all that was needed! Chris Tracey slipped as head turned in the area and as he fell his hand landed on the ball. The referee did not hesitate to blow for handball but decided not to penalise the player with a yellow card, perhaps acknowledging the accidental nature of the incident. Clement stepped up to bury the spot kick.
Brothers nearly extended the lead soon after but his header, from Clements pinpoint pass to the far post, was well over. With the game now well into added time Wanderers were frantically seeking the equaliser and this came in the last second as Chris Tracey was unmarked in the box to head home Jamie Baker’s cross.
Needham Market 3 Ipswich Wanderers 3 (full time)
A result was needed on the night so another 30 minutes of extra time was required. Townes, for Needham and Jamie Baker were both lucky to escape a second yellow card as the excitement and entertainment continued. The pace of the game had slowed but the commitment had not diminished at all. As they changed ends each side had been creating enough chances for either of them to win the game. Needham had used all three substitutes in normal time and Dean Tournay-Godfrey had come on for Wanderers. It was he who made the breakthrough after an earlier Jorrell Hurd cross was aimed at Chris Tracey, looking for his hat-trick and on 107 mins his header bulged the back of the net and brought joy to the Wanderers players and supporters alike. Needham looked a bit taken aback and Marc Lowe’s snapshot with 6 mins left could only be parried by Munson but Rene Swann could not get to the rebound before a defender cleared. Brothers broke to the other end but Lee Smith held him up until reinforcements arrived. Dean Tournay-Godfrey then took advantage of a defender’s error to test Munson as Needham were reduced to 10 men through an injury to Townes. A free kick was awarded to Needham on the half way line after Harewood held the ball uder his legs on the ground and Terrry Layton and Marc Lowe tried to retrieve it. The kick was quickly taken and Brothers sprinted away into the area and squeezed the ball between Jamie Stannard’s outstretched hand and the post to bring the score level again. In the dying minutes of the game, Jorrell Hurd did well to make room to cross from the right but he hit it too long for the onrushing forwards.
Needham Market 4 Ipswich Wanderers 4 (after extra time)
Penalties were now required to settle this game and it was Wanderers who were first up;
Dean Tournay-Godfrey low to 'keepers left 0 - 1
Matt Clements blasted over bar 0 - 1
Bardley Barber low to 'keepers left 0 - 2
Ross Crouch low to 'keepers right 1 - 2
Lee Smith blazed over bar 1 - 2
Michael Brothers low to 'keepers left 2 - 2
Jamie Baker low to 'keepers left 2 - 3
Chris Howlett low to 'keepers left 3 - 3
Jorrell Hurd saved mid-height to 'keepers left 3 - 3
Simon Mann saved low to 'keepers 3 - 3
Mark Lowe low to 'keepers left 3 - 4
Kevin Barker low to 'keepers left 4 - 4
Rene Swann low to 'keepers left 4 - 5
Nathan Munson low to 'keepers left 5 - 5
Terry Layton saved low to 'keepers left 5 - 5
Phil Boyland low to 'keepers left 6 - 5
Needham Market 10 Ipswich Wanderers 9 (after 8 penalties)
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